Mattress structure



Nov. 11, 1958 M. Kol-:NlGsBERG 2,359,455

' MATTRESS STRUCTURE Filed sept. so, 1955 o j ,t .35 56,0111 J Jv), i:E: 2 i175/ INVENTOR.

United States Patent C MATTRESS STRUCTURE Max Koenigsberg, HighlandPark, Ill., assignur to The Englander Company, Inc., Chicago, lill., acorporation ofiDelaware Application September. 30, 1 9,55,.Serial'No.537,730 3'Clams. (Cl. 5-345) The present invention relates toa novelmattress, and more particularly to a novel foam rubber mattressstructure.

Foam rubber mattresses heretofore; commercially avail able have usuallyconsisted ofa single pad of foam rubber covered by a suitable fabric orticking,k In order to provide such a mattress with the desired softnessand luxurious feel, the rubber pad isgmade-relatively thick. However, asthe thickness of the foam rubber` pad is increased, thegpadbecomes'laterally unstable so that it may q uiver in ajelly-like'manner.

It is -an important object of'the present invention to provide a novelfoam rubber mattress construction which is sufliciently thick so thatthe desired softness and luxurious feel is obtained and which isconstructed so as to substantially reduce the undesirable lateralinstability or jelly-like characteristics of relatively thick foamrubber mattresses heretofore proposed.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novelfoam rubber mattress structure -of the above described type which isformed so as to restrain peripheral and internal portions thereofagainst spreadinglaterally or outwardly under the weight of a personlying on the mattress so that the mattress is firmer and more stablewhile still having the desired softness.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a mattress structure embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

Fig..2 is an exploded perspective view on a reduced scale of theinternal elements of the novel mattress structure;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken along line 3 3 inFig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational View of a corner portionof the novel mattress structure.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, amattress structure l@ embodying the principles of the present inventionincludes a pair of pads 12 and 14 formed from foam rubber or the like.The foam rubber pads may be formed in any known manner and may beprovided with air pockets 16 and 18, if desired. The combined thicknessof the pads l2 and 14 may be varied but should be sufficient to providethe mattress with the desired softness and luxurious feel.

In accordance with the present invention the lateral stability orfirmness of the interior portions of the mattress is substantiallyimproved by providing a sheet 2t) between the pads 12 and 14. The sheet20 is formed from any suitable flexible material or fabric which isrelatively unstretchable as compared with the foam rub ber pads, and thesheet is adhesively secured as indicated at 22 and 24 to the innersurfaces of the pads l2 and 14 so that the pads and the sheet arecombined as a unit. The relatively unstretchable sheet serves torestrain the ice interior surfaces of the lpads and the portionsiof.the;pads adjacent the .interior surfaces againstlateral expansion whileat the same time, the-exiblelsheetdoes; noti' unduly impair the softnessof the pads.

The foam rubber padsare covered with fabricjpanels or ticking whichprovide the mattress-withk the;desired pleasing appearance and alsoserves to connetheperipheral surfaces of the p ad. Moreparticularly,the;mattr,ess cover comprisestopand `bottom fabric panels26andl28, and a pair of fabricstrips ,30.and 32 wh,ichextendentirelyaround the edge of the mattress. As-showninFig-.; 3, the peripheralledge of. thepanel 2.6;substantially abuis the upper edge oftheepanel'30, and, abindingtstrip 3,4-.is placed over these edges andthe-.strip and edgesfarefsewn together by stitches. 36. Breferably, 'theedges,n of,r the panels are folded.reversely asl shown, andrthezstitchesare directed through the double,thicknesses:,providedeby-the folds soasito reduce anypossibility ofthe panels becoming torn. It should benoted that,thefstitches,36exten'd throughthe upper,peripheral-,corneroftthegpad 12i-sosthat the fabric panels areheld illlxedrelationshipwithrespectjto the foamrubber-pad. The;bo ttom;pane1.28tis connected withvthe edgpanel or! 'strip 32 along al seam which includes .a bindingstripV B and; stitches 40 which are formed vand positioned inA the; samemannen as.- the binding Ystrip Sland ,stitches .Sndcscribedi above..

The fabricpanel` 2li., which,` is. disposedl betweenr-.aud adhesivelysecured to the foam rubber pads 12 and 14 has its peripheral edgesecured to adjacent edges of the strips or panels Sti and 32. As shownin Figs. 3 and 4, a binding strip 42 is placed over the adjacent edgesof the strips 30 and 32, which edges are reversely folded to reduce anypossibility of tearing. The peripheral edge of the panel 20 extendsbetween the folded edges of the panels 30 and 32, which edges and thebinding strip 42 are secured together by stitches 44. With thisstructure, the panel 20 serves to prevent'the panels 30 and 32 fromstretching outwardly when a load is on the mattress, and the panels 30and 32, in turn, retain the foam rubber pads against undue lateralexpansion.

From the above description, it is seen that the present invention hasprovided a foam rubber mattress structure which may be easily andeconomically fabricated so as to have suihcient depth to provide thedesired softness and luxurious feel without having undesirable lateralinstability. More specifically, it is seen that the present inventionhas provided a novel mattress structure cornprising a plurality of foamrubber pads confined by and secured to flexible but relativelyunstretchable fabric panels in the manner which substantially improvesthe lateral stability of the foam rubber pads without unduly impairingthe desired softness or feel of the mattress.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shownand described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may bechanged without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

l. A mattress structure comprising a cushion unit including a plurality-of superposed pads of foam rubber and the like each having a pluralityof air pockets having open ends at a surface thereof facing an adjacentsurface of another pad, and a flexible relatively unstretchable fabricsheet disposed between and adhesively secured substantially to entireadjacent surfaces of adjacent pads around the open ends of the airpockets to increase lateral stability of the pads, and cover meansincluding side portions overlying opposite sides of said unit and anedge portion surrounding a peripheral edge of said unit, said fabricsheet having its peripheral edge stitched to said cover means edgeportion between said side portions for restraining said edge portion andperipheral edges of said pads against lateral expansion when a load isplaced on Patented Nov. 111958 3` the mattress, and stitch meansconnecting adjacent margins of said side portions and said edge portionand also extending through adjacent outer peripheral corner pertions ofopposite outermost pads for retaining the cover means and the pad insubstantially Xed relationship and for further restraining lateralexpansion of the pads.

2. A mattress structure comprising a cushion unit including a pluralityof superposed pads of foam rubber and the like each having a pluralityof spaced air pockets aligned with air pockets in an adjacent pad, whichair pockets have open ends at adjacent surfaces of adjacent pads, and aflexible relatively unstretchable fabric sheet disposed between andadhesively secured substantially to entire adjacent surfaces of adjacentpads around the open ends of the air pockets to increase lateralstability of the pads, cover means including side portions overlyingopposite sides of said unit and an edge portion surrounding a peripheraledge of said unit, said fabric sheet being connected to said cover meansedge portion between said side portions for restraining said edgeportion and peripheral edges of said pads against lateral expansion whena load is placed on the mattress, and means securing peripheral cornersof said cover means between said side portions and said edge portion toperipheral outer corners of opposite outermost pads of said unit toretain said cover means and said pads in substantially fixedrelationship and further to restrain lateral expansion of said pads.

3. A mattress structure comprising a cushion unit including a pluralityof superposed foam rubber pads, and exible relatively unstretchablefabric sheet means disposed between and adhesively secured tosubstantially lil entire adjacent surfaces of adjacent pads to increaselateral stability of the pads, and cover means including a pair offabric side panels overlying opposite sides of said unit and a pair ofcomplementary edge panels surrounding a peripheral edge of said unit,stitch means connecting adjacent margins of said edge panels and aperipheral margin of said fabric sheet means for retaining said edgepanels and peripheral edges of said pads against lateral expansion whena load is placed on the mattress, and stitch means connecting peripheralmargins of said side panels and adjacent margins of said edge panels andalso extending through peripheral corner portions of opposite outermostpads of said unit for retaining said cover means in substantially iiXedrelationship with respect to said pads and for further restraininglateral expansion of the pads.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,295,030 Hoey Feb. 18, 1919 2,222,782 Moses Nov. 26, 1940 2,271,842Nachman Feb. 3, 1942 2,358,962 Cunningham Sept. 26, 1944 2,659,418Berman Nov. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 333,389 Great Britain Aug. 14, 1930511,193 Germany Oct. 28, 1930 767,841 France July 25, 1934

